Thursday, November 22, 2012

thankfulness from a to z

 

This is the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever spent away from home. It’s a weird feeling to know that my family will be all gathered together at my house in Washington tomorrow afternoon—aunts, uncles, cousins, and all—eating and laughing and catching up, and I won’t be there. I visualize Thanksgivings past, of the table spread with the special blue china, of all my male relatives sprawled on the floor from so much good food, of forbearing gray November skies, of my horse caked head to toe in mud, and I just want to be there.

But the truth is, I lack nothing. I’m healthy, I’m safe, I have a place to live, I have friends, and I have a church full of some of the most welcoming and generous people I’ve ever met. (I was invited to at least half a dozen Thanksgiving dinners here in Sebring!) And I have the constant presence of my Provider. All it takes is a moment of reflection, and I feel completely ashamed of every negative thought and every trivial complaint in my head.

So without further ado, a brief alphabetical anthology of a few things I’m thankful for. :)

Awe-inspiring creation.

I’m so glad our God is an artist!

july 31 112

Boyfriend.

I have the sweetest one ever.

Sam21

Cats.

God’s gift to mankind. (But, like most of God’s gifts, only a small percentage of the population has proper appreciation for it.)

Lenny (4)

David, king of Israel and Judah.

I’ve learned so, so, so much about my walk with God from studying King David’s life in 1 & 2 Samuel recently!

david1

Equines.

Poetry in motion.

Dremlit17

Family.

I really miss them.

FamPic

Goldendale.

Quirky, tiny, boring… but I love it. :)

Calves! 071

Home.

My favorite place… ever.

zfarm 269

Ideas and inspiration.

I find them all over the place. In beautiful sunsets, in slow music, in riveting stories. Oh…and Pinterest helps too. ;)

beach57 (2)

Jesus, my Savior and King.

Maybe that sounds like a Sunday school answer, but it’s true. I can’t imagine life without Him. (I’m not a big fan of human renditions of Jesus, so no picture for this one.)

Keeping traditions.

I’m a little on the sentimental side. I love traditions… I love things that stay the same year by year, even as people change. Food is always a big part of tradition in my house. :)

Cookies8

Lovingkindness.

From the Hebrew word chesed.

Hesed3

Music.

All kinds!

Piano

New experiences.

Adventures are some of my favorite things! New food, new places, new activities… I love them.

Disneyworld38

Ordinary days.

Days when there’s time to simply appreciate the everyday.

Beach41

Photography.

Obviously.

Larissa19

Quietness.

The kind of quietness you find in wide-open spaces or winter snowstorms.

Snow4

Roommates.

I love them. Hannah from Pennsylvania is my current roommate, and my sisters Hannah and Amy have been my roomies for years. :)

HannahSWallaWalla65_ppAmyElizabeth17

Sense of smell.

Scents give me sweet flashbacks to other times and other places and other experiences. Every time I peel a green apple, I smell the apple harvest of September 2011 at home.

Apple9

Technology.

I’m so thankful for the ease of communication I have with my family 3,000 miles away!

Communication technology

United States of America.

In God we trust.

zflags3

Varying seasons.

I love to see the world change month by month.

Snow3-S

Word of God.

These last three months of studying the Bible have given me a completely new appreciation for the Word that God has left for us. I am so, so, so thankful for it and the way it applies to my life even now, thousands of years after it was written.

bible

X.

Yes, the letter x—because of the way it stumps all of us when we do lists like this. Gotta love it. (Okay, there might be some sarcasm here.)

Yesterdays.

I have a weakness for the past—long-term history or even just yesterday. I like to think about the way things were and the different seasons of my life. (This picture seems like an eternity ago…)

12486_12

Zest and energy.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough of it... But I have physical health and strength as well as mental energy, and I don’t want to take that for granted!

H10_pp

What are you thankful for?

6 comments:

  1. I REALLY LOVE this post and all the the pictures!!!
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish I was as creative as you (which I already told you twice today)! I like the picture of us with the wommays :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful words, and beautiful photos. Absolutely stunning, Hallie!

    What I'm most thankful for is the life the Lord gave me. :)

    Take care, and hope you had a Merry Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a beautiful and thoughtful post, friend! I loved all the corresponding photos to go with your thankful thoughts. And I especially agree with you on the traditions -- I'm such a tradition lover, too. Thank you for linking up your sweet list!

    Have a blessing-filled weekend!
    Hannah

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love ALL of these photos! I piano one is really neat but I seriously can't pick a favorite!

    ReplyDelete

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